“True curb appeal of a home happens only when all the exterior elements are viewed as a whole,” says Smith, chief color maven at Sensational Color. “When evaluating a home’s appearance a person needs to first look at the roof, then let their eyes wander down to the siding, windows, door, porch and then the landscaping.

“The colors should ‘flow’ down the home exterior cohesively. For example, a slate gray roof works well with siding that’s painted either pure white or a light shade of gray. Then accent colors of dark red or deep blue could be used for the shutters and entry door to give the home specific color ‘pops’ that increase the curb appeal.”

Just because color starts with the roof doesn’t mean it has to be boring. At DaVinci Roofscapes, manufacturers of synthetic slate and shake roofing tiles, there are 50 different colors to choose from for the roof.

“We offer bright colors like Medium Terracotta and Light Violet for people looking for stand-out roof colors,” says Wendy Bruch, marketing manager for DaVinci Roofscapes. “But we also have more subdued colors like Medium Tan, Dark Weathered Gray and Medium Dark Tahoe. And, Slate Black is still one of our most popular colors.”

The company also offers four dozen blends of colors, where two or more roofing colors are mixed and matched together on the roof. Up to six colors come in some of DaVinci’s standard blends or homeowners can create their own personal color blend online at http://www.davinciroofscapes.com/color/designer/

According to Smith, the ability to add curb appeal from the top down on a home allows homeowners to truly personalize their homes. She offers several tips to get homeowners focused on adding color to their home exteriors during National Curb Appeal Month.

Tip #1 – Consider the fixed features of a home before deciding on what colors to add. These elements include the colors of foundation and chimney materials, like brick, stone and concrete, along with other fixed elements like porches, steps, walkways and retaining walls.

Tip #2 – Think about regional colors that might work well on your home. It’s fine to have a home that stands out in the neighborhood, but it needs to link in with the overall geography where you live.

Tip #3 – Look at your environment. The natural setting and landscaping around your home can help you select colors that complement the existing setting.

Tip #4 – Let the style of your home help you determine how bold or subdued you should go with color. For example, bright colors are almost expected on a Victorian home, while more refined colors like off white, dark green and rich chocolate would complement a Ranch style home.

Tip #5 – Consider the historic element of the home and let that help lead you to colors that reflect the house’s history. Also make sure to check with any homeowner associations you might belong to for possible restrictions on color usage.

The experienced team members at DaVinci Roofscapes develop and manufacture industry-leading polymer slate and shake roofing systems with an authentic look and superior performance. DaVinci leads the industry in the greatest selection of colors, tile thickness and tile width variety. The company’s reliable products have a limited lifetime warranty and are 100 percent recyclable. All DaVinci high-performing roofing products are proudly made in America where the company is a member of the National Association of Home Builders, the National Association of Roofing Contractors, the Cool Roof Rating Council and the U.S. Green Building Council.